It’s not original, but it’s always touching.
In recent years, a trend has emerged where a group of people shave their heads in solidarity with someone fighting cancer, who has lost their hair due to chemotherapy.
The players of the amateur team Kalmar AIK FK (not to be confused with Kalmar FF from the Allsvenskan) took a similar step, shaving their heads to support their captain, Markus Heman.
The 24-year-old, who is battling an aggressive form of cancer (neuroendocrine tumor), walked into the locker room to find the rest of the team shaved, and he couldn’t believe his eyes. He immediately felt more at ease and took off the bandana covering his head, breaking down in tears as he was embraced by his teammates.
However, one player was missing from the group—Ole Bjornegren—who arrived last to reveal his new tattoo dedicated to Heman, which conveyed the message “MHFC,” meaning “Markus Heman F*ck Cancer.”
“Everything should be about joy. That’s the most important thing. Joy, community, laughter.”
Markus gave a powerful interview to a Swedish outlet, saying:
“It was nice that the video spread both here and worldwide. It was a very beautiful gesture from the guys. A great move that came with tears and joy.
I remain in good spirits despite the chemotherapy. Most days are good, but you have to take it step by step, day by day, compared to before. Before I got sick, I had my routine. Now I live each day individually. I might go for a walk with a friend in the morning, depending on how I feel. Then I’ll recharge and try to go to training to hang out with the guys. No restraints. Sometimes I feel better than I expected, despite the chemotherapy.
Everything started in June when I felt some pains in my body, on the right side of my stomach. I thought, what the hell is this? I took some pills, and the pain went away. But the next day, it returned and wouldn’t go away. That’s when I went to the ER, and they scheduled me for an appointment at the health center. On July 1st, they told me there was a 90% chance it was cancer. On July 11th, it was confirmed. Such news knocks the wind out of you. You can imagine how I took it as a young, athletic, and generally healthy man.
It was shocking and made me dizzy. When you’re 24 and have been involved in sports all your life, thinking only about what you’ll eat and how you’ll train, it’s a massive shock. It sounds crazy to hear someone say you have cancer. It’s something you never expect.
However, as strange as it sounds, I’ve felt good throughout this time. When we got the news, I didn’t have to do anything alone. Four people from the team were already by my side at the hospital. And they haven’t left me alone for a single day. I haven’t done anything to deserve such support.
It’s tough for my family. But soon, they saw the support everyone was giving me. It’s not easy to see someone close to you being sad. But the feeling that it could go away, the optimism, covered everything. My feelings are mainly of gratitude and humility.
They immediately showed me so much love. The entire organization. They helped me process it. Of course, there are other emotions I’m trying to manage. But they gave me great optimism.
